Gonzalez, 27, has battled a slew of injuries since being a 2007 first-round draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts. Since 2009, the Ohio State product has only appeared in 11 games, catching five passes for 67 yards.

The 6'0", 193-pound Gonzalez was excited for an opportunity to be on the other side of the Colts-Patriots rivalry when he spoke to the media in April. However, his job in New England never came to fruition.

"As you learn more about the teams you are playing, especially this one, you kind of get an appreciation for how they do things, and just the way it's run, and that sort of thing," Gonzalez told ESPN Boston's Mike Rodak. "To me it was the perfect fit in a lot of ways."

In five NFL seasons, Gonzalez played in a mere 40 out of a possible 80 regular season games—totaling 99 receptions for 1,307 yards and seven touchdowns.

ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss reports that Gonzalez was not present at last Thursday's OTAs and was set to earn a base salary of $701,000 this season.

In wake of the transaction, the Patriots signed undrafted rookie tight end Nick Melillo.